1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a power semiconductor component comprising at least one pn junction, preferably a power diode having a reverse voltage strength of at least 600 V, for applications in power class converters, to provide minimum switching losses.
2. Description of the Related Art
German Patent No. DE 43 37 329 C2 discloses a power semiconductor component, a power diode, having a pn junction, wherein recombination centers are produced in the semiconductor body by means of irradiation with high-energy particles. Both electrons and helium nuclei are employed for this purpose. This results in the formation of a fast power diode having a high dielectric strength and further positive properties in combination with power transistors.
What is disadvantageous such a power diode, however, is that the irradiation, for example with helium nuclei, results in the production of defects in the semiconductor body which lead to higher reverse currents as a result of charge carrier generation in the blocking state. However, this effect of the implantation can be partly compensated for in a further process step.
Other known methods of forming a power semiconductor device include the step of forming a region having a second doping having a low concentration in a semiconductor body having a first doping. The resulting pn junction runs parallel to the surface and has, at the edge region of the doping zone, a high degree of curvature of the pn junction before the latter reaches the surface. What is disadvantageous in such a known device is that it has a low dielectric strength due to the small penetration depth of the second doping. A complicated configuration of the edge region beyond the second doping is necessary in order to compensate for this disadvantage.